


Windswept

by blzter14



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Bonding, Eager Cloud, F/M, Nervous Tifa, Reflection, Romance, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:19:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blzter14/pseuds/blzter14
Summary: When Cloud decides to teach Tifa how to ride Fenrir, both of them find themselves reflecting about each other, their experiences and their relationship.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	Windswept

For the first time in a very long while, Tifa found herself feeling nervous.

She stared at the magnificent steel beast before her, its owner proudly showing it off to her with a smile.

“I made sure everything was working, filled the tank, added a few bonus safety features and even polished it Tifa. She’s ready for you.”

She had ridden on Fenrir as a passenger a couple of times and it always made her heart race without fail. What more now that she was actually going to drive it?

Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she made a few hesitant steps towards the bike, eyeing it from the rear to the front.

Tifa couldn’t see what was different with it. While it certainly looked shiny and new, she couldn’t for the life of her find the safety features he had installed for her.

“Help me roll her out and we’ll get you started.” he told her, a bit of spark in his voice.

This was one of the very few things Cloud was very passionate about and it showed.

Tifa felt very lucky that he was willing to share this with her. After all, he was the one that brought the idea up.

No one, absolutely no one, got to drive Fenrir other than Cloud Strife.

Cloud held the handlebars while Tifa pushed against the rear of the bike, bringing it out of the garage and out of the alleyway into the sunlight, beaming harshly down on the city streets.

He looked at her and patted the seat down with a small smile. Despite her fears gnawing at her in the back of her head, she gave one of her own and walked over.

She threw a leg over the bike before straddling the seat, waiting for further instructions from her eager partner.

“Alright, this is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. You’ll practically be riding around Edge with ease just like how you make drinks. We can even build you one of your own if you take a liking to it.” he laughed

Tifa gave an awkward laugh and shook her head. “One thing at a time Cloud.”

He put a gloved hand on her shoulder to steady her before kicking the stand for her to find her balance.

She planted one foot on the ground as Fenrir leaned on one side. It was surprisingly light given how bulky it looked but she was still going to have to jostle with it to get a good feel of how not to fall off and skid on the concrete.

Once she was steady, Cloud began telling her what the various gauges and meters were, making sure she understood each one of them.

He saw that look on her face countless times: Determination. Her brows were a bit scrunched up, wine-colored eyes focused on the subject and lips pursed in a thin line.

He found it adorable and it made him feel warm inside. He wanted to spend more time with Tifa the soonest he settled back into their home.

Figuring that teaching her how to drive Fenrir would be a good first step, he was glad to see that she was exerting as much effort to indulge him in his little pet project as he was trying to find things they could share together.

“Alright, let’s turn the ignition on and see if we can get you moving.”

“Already?!” Tifa’s head jerked in his direction, eyes wide in surprise.

“Yeah, why not? Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I don’t know Cloud, I’m still just getting used to it, what if I wreck it?”

“You’ve driven a truck before, this is almost the same thing, just with two wheels.”

The back and forth continued between them as Tifa tried her absolute best to stall for time while trying to convince Cloud that today might not be such a good day to start actually driving Fenrir.

Discreetly, Cloud inched the key closer to the ignition, hoping to distract Tifa long enough to turn on his beloved motorcycle.

The engine roars to life, causing Tifa to stumble in surprise while she holds onto the bike for dear life.

“Cloud!”

“Relax Tifa, you trust me don’t you?”

The question, while asked in a lighthearted manner, felt quite heavy and Cloud picked up on her silence despite the idling sounds of Fenrir.

It took a while before either said anything, a very terse and awkward pause between the two of them. Cloud wracked his brain for anything that he could say or do to make the situation better. He felt like he had said the wrong thing, self-doubt starting to creep up in his mind.

Even after Geostigma, it was a nasty habit he had continued to circle back to.

“I’m sorry Tifa, let me-” she cuts him off as he turned the ignition off.

“Stop. I know what you’re trying to do.” she breathes out to calm herself. She knew he meant nothing by it and clearly showed remorse for the slip up.

He was going to blame himself again and she would have none of it. She’s aware that there are still lingering issues that the both of them needed to address but to her, trust has never been an aspect that she would cast doubt on and he needed to know that.

Despite everything that has happened between the two of them, she always had faith that he would do the what he thought would be in their best interests even if his reasoning and execution was flawed.

Tifa understood Cloud. She had the uncanny ability to know what he was thinking, what he was trying to do and what he was about to do.

It was a very special and strangely intimate bond that she shared with the man.

”I do trust you Cloud, with my life.”

He was not expecting a quick reply. Quite frankly he was stunned.

She met his eyes with a steely gaze of resolve, her hands gripping the handlebars tightly.

He was sure that Tifa must have at least held something against him after all the foolish and stupid things he’s done under the impression that it would be for the betterment of their lives.

She could have been long gone by now, leaving him alone to wallow in self-pity but no, she stuck through with him.

How many second chances has she given him without even expecting anything big in return? She was so selfless.

Even now as she looked at him expectantly, she trusted him.

Tifa was far from being a gear head like him, let alone show any interest in driving anything unless she absolutely had to.

He could see it, she was still afraid of driving Fenrir and yet, she was willing to try for him.

“You’re right Tifa. I’m sorry.”

She hums and shakes her head. “Nothing to be sorry for. I get it, you’re excited.”

Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in, he steeled himself and hopped on behind her.

He leaned forward and pressed against her back, guiding her hands onto the grips and holding them tight.

“I got your back, always. We’ll do it together.”

The close proximity was definitely welcome. She felt more secure with him and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

He was her hero after all.

Cloud went through the motions, explaining the various things she needed to know about operating the bike.

Tifa was quick on the uptake, taking mental note of each and every button and pedal and before long, was starting to move slowly down the street.

Sure Fenrir stuttered a few times and she may have had to adjust her balance with Cloud adding to the weight but, she didn’t crash.

He was coiled around her tight, hands ready to help her break and steer and his feet, ready to help her own to find the pedals she needed to push down on.

It was a weird sight to behold but to anyone who saw them, they looked happy and comfortable.

Tifa steadily drove them along, taking a slow and casual stroll along the city streets and marveling at how easy it really was to drive Fenrir.

She attributed it to Cloud’s “additional safety features”, probably in the form of some sort of limiter or training wheels but also, his caring and secure presence behind her,

In a way, it reminded her of how they lived their lives now: Uncertain in this new normal they found themselves in but she would be fine.

Tifa had Cloud with her and they would continue going forward, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Went through a lot of editing with this as I wasn't satisfied with the flow but I hope it came out great and you enjoyed the read!


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